Panasonic LZ30

Panasonic LZ30 is Panasonic's Small Sensor Superzoom camera initially launched on January of 2013. It uses a 16 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a maximum resolution of 4608 x 3456.

Panasonic brought out this camera as a way to improve the previous Panasonic LZ20 (Read Full Comparison) and afterwards brought out the more recent Panasonic LZ40 (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to improve this camera.

The LZ30 is scored #194 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and all-around #875 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. Remember to check out our Advanced camera filter to find camera results based on your custom requirements.

Below is a chart of specific criteria used in the scoring system.

The Panasonic LZ30 comes with a history of related cameras. Underneath, you can look at all previous and more recent models along with important features.

You can check the LZ30 from different angles in the gallery here.

Below is a checklist of good and bad points of the Panasonic LZ30 based on aspects that are usually viewed as important in a camera.

The specification of the sensor on the Panasonic LZ30 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to resolve 4608 x 3456 pixels . The camera has got Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is superior than digital stabilization since the latter can easily cause cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 16 megapixels and supports a native ISO range of 100 to 6400. Unfortunately, RAW format is not supported therefore the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic below shows the LZ30's sensor dimensions when compared to other common sizes. The LZ30 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is showcased in green.

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To get an understanding of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Panasonic LZ30 weighs about 1.22 pounds (552g or 19.47 oz) and the measurement of the camera is 124mm x 84mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 3.6"). The weight of normal Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387g and the Panasonic LZ30 is heavier when compared to various rivals.

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Below is a pic of the Panasonic LZ30 with a softdrink so you can have a sense of its scale.

The top view here will provide the button layout on the LZ30.

The LZ30 includes a built-in lens featuring a focal range of 25-875mm making it a 35.0 x zoom which is great and does make it easier to zoom right in.

At the widest 25mm, it provides an aperture of f3.0 which will be quite slow and not ideal in low light occasions and you will struggle to capture good bokeh. You will probably also have to boost the ISO setting producing noisy photographs. Towards the tele end, 875mm is fantastic zoom and comes to f5.9 which is really slow and you may need to go with slow shutter speeds.

The LZ30 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes

Cameras that include NFC or Bluetooth support can be used wirelessly through smartphones. You can transfer photos and oftentimes change settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.

Certain applications even enable a Liveview and click the shutter when you aren't near the camera. If the camera contains a HDMI out, it can be hooked up to an external screen. The majority of cameras will allow you to recharge the battery using the USB socket.

The maximum video resolution on the Panasonic LZ30 is 1280 x 720 and it can shoot in Motion JPEG format. 720p is low by today's standards. You really should try to get a minimum FUll HD resolution for good video. The camera doesn't feature a mic or headphone jack which means that you have little control over your sound. It is perhaps best to purchase an alternative camera should you need decent sound in your video clips.

Panasonic LZ30 doesn't include weather sealing so damp conditions can easily ruin the camera.

The Panasonic LZ30 houses a 3" fixed display supporting a resolution of 460k dots.

Unfortunately the display is not a touch screen.

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The View Finder details regarding Panasonic LZ30 are as follows:

• ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are pretty useful for bright outdoor situations which will make the camera display washed out and very difficult to view.

Panasonic LZ30 continuous shooting speed is 1.0 frames per second. The max shutter speed is 1/2000 seconds.

Panasonic LZ30 has got only integrated flash with missing external flash ability.

Panasonic LZ30 has got just Contrast Based Auto Focus and doesn't have Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is more faster and exact when compared to Contrast Based focusing.

It also comes with Tracking Auto Focus for objects that move. Panasonic LZ30 doesn't have manual focusing. Manual focusing can be useful for low light or you want more accurate control on depth of field.

The battery (4 x AA) for the Panasonic LZ30 is made to last for 380 clicks according to the CIPA standards making it above standard when compared to its category. The general Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR has got the highest possible (600) battery life for this type of cameras.

Here is a listing of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras that come with the strongest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm HS35EXR
LZ30 vs Fujifilm HS35EXR600 yesnono

Nikon B500
LZ30 vs B500600 nonoyes

Photography Glossary

Nikon L840
LZ30 vs L840590 noyesno

Panasonic FZ200
LZ30 vs FZ200540 yesnono

Leica V-Lux 4
LZ30 vs V-Lux 4540 yesnono

The following illustration shows a analysis of the Panasonic LZ30 for varying types of photography. To learn more, visit the specific paragraph below.

The Panasonic LZ30 has a points tally of 32 which is low, meaning that it is not really appropriate to use for portrait images. Photographing portraits favors heavily to sensor dimension, RAW support and potential to use external lighting.

Coming in at a low rating of 43, the Panasonic LZ30 is not really appropriate for street photography. A good street photography camera comes with a good balance of picture quality and portability.

A decent sports photography points tally of 47 indicates the Panasonic LZ30 is relatively acceptable for photographing sports. A camera must have fantastic autofocus plus shutter speeds for sports photography.

Portability is very crucial when picking a camera for travel. All things considered, the Panasonic LZ30 gets a moderate 56 as a travelling camera which is fairly appropriate to purchase for your travels.

When you're looking to buy a digital camera for landscape photographs, the most vital factor will be image quality. The Panasonic LZ30 and it's low score of 45 for a landscape camera is not really appropriate compared to its competitors.

A camera for vlogging ought to come with a moving display screen, microphone port and if possible image stabilization. Taking everything into account, the Panasonic LZ30 is not really appropriate as a vlog camera as it comes to a low rating of 22.

If you want replacements to the LZ30, here is a number of the highest ranked cameras that fall under the category of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The diagram down below gives you a bird's eye view of the LZ30 versus it's top ranked rivals listed above.

Here are a few more cameras you may check out as alternative options. To see a full comparison, visit the "compare" link.